Meeting Betty
by loboscuro
Summary: Follows after season 2...Daniel takes his son on a tour of Europe, starting with Rome, of course - and of course they meet Betty. Gio/Betty, slight Detty. Sorry - discontinued, it fell too far back in the UB timeline D:
1. In Rome

**Meeting Betty**

**A/N: **My second UB fic. I disclaim everything necessary. Please share your thoughts. :)

* * *

Betty has gone off with Gio. She is going to Rome, using the tickets that Daniel bought, staying in the hotel room he'd booked. Enough is enough, she'd told Henry - he'd better go focus on his son. And she couldn't, couldn't move to Tucson. There was too much for her in New York, and subconsciously what Daniel has said is lingering in the back of her mind.

Daniel is in France with his son, and they are going around, bonding, but the more they hang around the more his son reminds him of someone else...but someone pleasantly in his mind as connected to the warm balmy days of childhood. Daniel Jr.'s school holidays begin and he wants his father to take him somewhere. Daniel finds his son has never been out of France before except on his trip to the USA, and so he decides to go on a Grand Tour of Europe.

There first stop is Rome, and Daniel and his son see Betty, who is waiting outside a restaurant for Gio, who has gone to use the toilet.

* * *

"Hey!" Daniel exclaimed, seeing a familiar light blue coat from across the road. "That's Betty!"

His son gave him a wary, _are you sure?_ look.

Well, it was to be expected. He'd had way too many false alarms in the past two days; for some reason, each time he turned a corner here he hoped desperately he'd see her. Rome couldn't be _that_ big, could it?

Why did he want to see her so badly? Maybe it was just that after this whole Henry thing he wanted to...check up on her. Although what business had he checking up on her...he was her boss, not her -

Not her _father_ or something.

And besides, Gio was a much cooler guy than Henry.

Yes, Daniel really wanted it to be Betty but at the same time he felt so _terribly_ guilty and scared. Because he had been fired and - and she didn't know. He couldn't ruin her holiday like this. This was supposed to be her break.

He watched as the light-blue-coat-woman turned slightly, and he saw her face in profile - there was no doubt about it. It was Betty, his Betty! Well not _his_, but you know, the one he knew.

"It is her this time," he told Daniel Jr, smiling triumphantly.

His son rolled his eyes and smiled at the same time, and something tugged affectionately in Daniel's heart. That gesture was so familiar; he was _sure_ he'd seen it so many times before in his childhood. "Bon."

Daniel grinned, taking the boy's hand. "Come on, let's go say hi."

The pull was natural. She was his best friend, he'd depended on her for so long, and no matter how guilty he was he still _had_ to go and say Hi. Only it might seem as though he'd followed her here...he'd _known_ she was coming, hell, he'd bought her tickets. But oh well. Who gave a damn? Not him. She was here, and he was here -

He stumbled the last few steps toward Betty, losing his balance over an old lady's shopping trolley, letting go of Daniel Jr's hand.

"Ah-" he knocked into Betty's side, causing her to drop the bag she was holding. He dove forward for it, miraculously snagging the top with his right hand; but it was too late to do anything else, and he brought Betty down with him. She fell on top of him with a slight shriek, and despite the pain of the impact he smiled at the mere familiarity of seeing Betty again, her glasses, her hair, her braces.

"How could you -" she groped for her glasses, patting something solid beneath her, glaring around for the nasty man's face as she did so.

As she slid on the glasses, the first thing that came into focus was a pair of familiar blue eyes. She grinned involuntarily. So it wasn't some horrible stranger, then, but her clumsy boss. He wasn't wearing one of his usual suits - but then he _was_ on holiday. After all, he was in Rome. Why was he -

"Betty?" Gio's voice reached her from far, far above. He stared down at her, a strange expression on his face.

* * *

Betty looked down. Daniel's face was directly below hers; she realised she was still lying on top of him, grinning, hand resting on his chest from when she'd been scrabbling for her glasses.

Wow, was his skin hot or what? And he was so _hard_ - muscles -

She shook her head dazedly and scrambled off him. "Oh - oh - er, Gio, look who's here!" She pointed at Daniel. "Daniel!"

Daniel nodded awkwardly at Gio, straightening his collar. "Hi, Gio."

"Hi, Mr. Meade," Gio said.

"Don't be silly," Betty said, poking him in the arm. "It's _Daniel_."

The two men looked at each other for a split second before Daniel Jr. jumped over. "Bonjour," the boy said, smiling at Betty.

"Daniel!" Betty said, smiling hugely. "Wow! Hi! Is your daddy taking you all over Italy?"

Daniel Jr eyed her weirdly.

"Betty, he's eleven, not six," Daniel said, laughing. "And _Daddy_?"

Betty sighed tiredly. "Fine, he's not so small. And _aren't_ you a Daddy?" It felt odd saying that, but strangely good. She smiled.

"Well, I suppose I am," Daniel said, thoughtfully. "Hm."

"Fancy meeting you here, Daniel." Gio smiled suspiciously at him. Why had the guy followed Betty and himself? Didn't he _trust_ him with Betty? And besides, what was Daniel to Betty that he would check on her anyway...his expression became friendlier at this last thought. Daniel was just the boss. The sight he'd been greeted with, Betty sprawled all over Daniel, was just another one of those eccentric scenes the two of them could make...

"You mustn't think I'm stalking you," Daniel said, reaching for his son. "Oh, no. I was taking my son on a tour of Europe...and just happened to see Betty across the road."

"Not for ze first ti-" Daniel Jr. began in his beginner's english, before Daniel quickly covered his mouth, muffling the rest of the sentence.

Betty smiled puzzedly at the two of them. "Oh, but won't a tour be a very long break? Is your leave of absence that long?"

Daniel felt a drop of ice slide between his ribs, but he managed not to let the feeling show. "Oh it's okay."

Betty looked concerned, her eyes boring into his. As usual, it seemed she were the only one there; he would bend to her will soon, spill all -

"Well, nice meeting you guys," Gio broke in, smiling cheerfully. "Have a nice stay. Betty and I have some sightseeing to do. Isn't that right?" He gently brushed Betty's hair back, kissing her on the cheek, just above the jawline. The intimacy gave Daniel's throat a strange twinge. Unbidden, the thought of the hotel room he'd booked came to his mind. One room. Why did he do that again? Because one room meant one bed - and one bed meant sharing - and

_Do not go there, Daniel! That's Betty's privacy!_

He smiled at Gio instead, trying to fend off the improper wonderings. "Have fun - we'll be off, then." He patted Daniel Jr. on the shoulder.

"Oh, no," Betty said, suddenly.

"No?" Gio looked at her. "I thought you wanted to see the colis-"

"Yes, but that was before Daniel turned up," Betty said, smiling patiently at Gio. "We can't just meet them and then _leave_."

"Oh," Gio said.

"Betty - you don't have to -" Daniel said, awkwardly.

"Of course we have to," Betty said, firmly. "How could we just part like vague acquaintances?" She gripped his arm (and Gio's, almost as an afterthought) and smiled at Daniel Jr., and marched them all down the street to find some nice cafe.


	2. My Daniel

**Meeting Betty**

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews! And this fic is Gio/Betty for now but yes, I'm hoping it'll eventually be Detty. Sorry Getty shippers :(

I disclaim everything necessary. This chapter is mostly on Daniel getting the fact that he's fired out. Please keep telling me what you think - suggestions, ideas? :D

* * *

"Well, I'll find the tour guide and cancel the reservations we had for today," Gio said to Betty.

"Thanks Gio - and I _am_ sorry, but -"

"Hey. Don't worry about it." Gio patted her hand, with that special smile for her, and got up from the coffee table.

Daniel shifted awkwardly in his seat, guilty that his intrusion had broken up their plans. He caught his son's eyes; Daniel Jr. smiled at him and he smiled back.

Betty watched the last exchange, feeling warm and fuzzy inside at the loving expression on her friend's face. So much could change so quickly.

"So - this Europe tour thing, Daniel?" she asked, feeling a slight puzzlement return. "How long is your leave supposed to be? I mean, I know you said it was a 'good time for me to take a holiday,' but..."

Daniel drew a breath and looked away from her.

"It's not fair of Alexis to just tell you to _leave_...I mean, the longer you're away - maybe this is the perfect chance for Wilhelmina to take over Mode!"

"Betty," Daniel said, in barely a whisper. His voice dropped and his lips moved but the words that followed were inaudible.

"Sorry?"

"She has," Daniel said, forcing himself to speak just the fraction of a decibel louder.

Betty's mouth opened slightly, staring at her boss, his blue eyes tormented with shame and guilt. "She...what?"

"Alexis - she -" He couldn't say it, couldn't get any farther. He didn't need to; Betty's heart clenched for him. How could Alexis - Daniel's own _sister - _fire her brother and let this cruel, calculating, _evil_ woman become the head of Mode?

"Oh, my - _Daniel_," Betty said. What could she say? Her pep talks had been knocked out of her. The horrible situation; it was supposed to be so nice, sitting in a cafe in Rome, but now -

Daniel chuckled.

Betty looked at him in slight alarm. Was this the first breaking of sanity?

"My Daniel," he said, in response to her perplexed stare. "You said _my Daniel_."

There was no bitterness in his tone, and Betty smiled uncertainly. Had she not known him better than she did she would have thought him brooding over Alexis leading Meade Publications. Brooding over how his Dad had always, always preferred Alex, even when he became Alexis. But it seemed Daniel had gotten over that phase. He'd had weeks. Or maybe it was just that his son was there. But Betty, still just coming to terms with a Mode-less Daniel, a Daniel-less Mode, was still trying to get used to the idea. Somehow in her mind Daniel was just forever linked with Mode. She knew he'd had a life before being named Editor-in-chief - but she'd met him when he was Editor and...

But Daniel wasn't just her boss, the Editor of Mode, he was genuinely a _person_, one of her best friends if not the best. He was still Daniel without Mode. (As for Mode, that was a different story, Betty thought. Mode would not be the Mode she knew it to be without Daniel. The offices, at least, because as much as she hated to admit it Wilhelmina _was_ pretty darn good at her job.)

"My Daniel," she said, softly, almost unthinkingly. _Her_ Daniel, _her_ boss - maybe she'd better start calling him ex-boss - _her_ best friend. Still there.

* * *

"Ex_cuse_ me?" came Gio's voice.

Betty gulped hugely, and looked up to meet Gio's eyes.

He was grinning.

She smiled in relief and shifted around the table slightly, allowing Gio space to sit down in his chair.

"Well, I got all the cancellations done," Gio said, "Except they absolutely refused to refund the dinner, because apparently according to some crucial booking formula a lot depends on the number of people in the tour group."

"Tour groups," Betty muttered, under her breath. "Oh well, it doesn't matter."

* * *

**Gio**

And so the first thing I hear Betty saying when I walk back to the table, right, is "_My Daniel_."

Now doesn't that just sound weird to you? I mean seriously. That sounds like something a lover would say. (Though she never refers to me as her Gio. That sounds odd anyway.) Or a parent or something, and since I highly doubt Betty is a parental figure to Daniel Meade -

Well, actually, that's an idea. Daniel sure needs some reining in sometimes. And there's no one better than Betty.

That's why I love her, you know? She's just so _there_ all the time, and so together - it's not very often at all you'd see her all flustered and speechless. She's there for everyone she cares about, and I am so lucky that she cares about me.

She cares about Daniel, too.

Okay, I'm not going to go into suspicious boyfriend mode here. That never did Henry any good.

So I smiled. Big smile, Gio.

* * *

"Oh no," Daniel said. "It _does_ matter. I've just turned up here and dumped all that - all that - on you. I can't ruin the whole of your holiday. This is still your break, Betty."

"Daniel, you're not ruining my holiday," Betty tried.

"I know I've given you a heck lot to think about."

Gio watched the exchange silently. Just what had the boss dumped onto Betty this time?

"Come on, Dan." Daniel stood up from the table, taking his son by the shoulder. "Goodbye, Betty. I'll talk everything over with you later. I'll - arrange something - for you -"

"Daniel, you don't have to -"

Daniel just smiled. "Goodbye. Have fun, you guys." He nodded at Gio.

Betty sat heavily in her seat, watching Daniel walk into the not-quite-sunset-because-it-was-only-four-o'clock with his son.

They sat in the quiet stillness for a while (as quiet as it could get with the cafe owner, a loud plump Italian man, laughing away with his customers in the background), coffee cups in hand. Daniel's cup looked lonely without him.

Betty reached out and took the cup, sighing. What was he going to do?

"Did I just cancel all our reservations for nothing?" Gio said, eventually.

Betty shut her eyes. "Tour groups."

* * *

Daniel tucked the sheets in for Daniel Jr's bed - or rather patted it a bit, because frankly he had no idea what he was supposed to do. It wasn't like his father had ever bid his sons goodnight, or read them a bedtime story, or...

He watched his son fall asleep, and walked over to the hotel desk. With all his stupid Mode stuff going on he was hardly having any fun with Daniel Jr.

He had to arrange something for Betty. It wasn't just he who was fired; if he wasn't working there anymore, then neither was Betty. Wilhelmina had Marc, and heck, Daniel wouldn't have Betty working for that vicious cobra anyway.

He eyed his mobile warily. Alexis was just a phone call away.

The thing was, a phone call was several button-presses away.

And his fingers would not press those buttons.

Because his brain would not allow it.

Alexis was...every time he thought things were alright again, it all fell apart. After his mother was released what had she said? Something like _we are all here together and we will always be together_. Daniel smiled sadly. What a short _always_.

His mom. How was she right now? This must be so hard for her, too -

Daniel decided he would have to swallow his pride and just phone his sister. No matter how inconsiderate she might be - well she said she'd fired him for the company's benefit. Betty benefited the company. And he couldn't lose her a job too, so...

He reached for the phone, exhaling a long breath of air.

His fingers barely skimmed the surface before it buzzed sideways on the table.

Disbelievingly, he read _Alexis_ off the front display.


	3. Alexis' Angst

**Meeting Betty**

**A/N: **Again, many thanks reviewers :) Sorry for the long break - I was suddenly attacked by a Heroes bug D:

I disclaim everything necessary. Look out for Alexis' discomfort in this chapter. What could it mean...? And again, your thoughts are much appreciated.

* * *

"Letter for Daniel Meade," the mail delivery guy said.

Amanda sniffed from somewhere in the igloo of tissues.

The guy leaned forward into the counter, trying to ignore the mountain of crumpled whiteness. "Excuse me? I have a letter for a Mr. Daniel Meade?"

"He doesn't work here any more!" Amanda howled, sending an avalanche of tissues tumbling down as she stood up. "What part of that do you not understand?"

"You only just told me," the guy grumbled. "Okay, I'll take this back."

"Wait -" Alexis stopped him, putting out a hand as she approached. "What is that?"

"A letter," the guy said, slowly, "for Daniel Meade."

"Oh," Alexis said, feeling a familiar twist of guilt as she did whenever his name was mentioned. Amanda glared at her from the side. She ignored her. "Right. Well, I'll take it."

The guy raised an eyebrow. "And you are _Mr_. Meade?"

Alexis laughed. "Close. I used to be. Now, I'll take that letter."

The delivery man, confounded, said, "No, it has to go to Daniel Meade! If he's not here, I'll take it back to the office."

"I am his sister," Alexis said. She felt a bigger twang of horrible guilt. She ignored it, again. The best for the company. Killer instincts, remember? Blood in water?

The delivery man turned to Amanda as if for confirmation, who gave Alexis another evil glare. "She's his _sister_," Amanda said.

The man turned back to Alexis. "Alright, then. Make sure you give it to him."

Alexis took the envelope, holding it tightly in her hand, and walked swiftly to her office. Sitting down in the swiveling chair she put the letter squarely in the middle of the desk.

_Mr. Daniel Meade_

_New York Laboratories ltd. (Blood & DNA testing)_

She stared at the printed type.

The same panic she'd repressed days ago began to rise again, and she fought it furiously. Daniel Jr. was her brother's son and that was _that_. What was the point of this crappy letter? With a surge of adrenaline she caught the letter up.

She stopped, her arm halfway to the rubbish bin. She couldn't do this, it wasn't her letter. She had to give it to Daniel anyway.

But what if...what if Daniel Jr. was...

Alexis dropped the letter back on the desk and buried her face in her hands. She'd done enough to her brother, she knew it, and Claire had made absolutely certain that she knew it. Not in so many words, but Alexis could feel the cut - and worst of all the _sadness_ - in her mother's glances. She couldn't bury this letter no matter how much she feared what the news in it could be, could mean to her.

Oh, she'd just call her brother and tell him about the damn letter.

It was surprisingly hard to choose "Daniel - brother" from her contacts list.

The phone rang.

* * *

Fumbling, Daniel flipped his phone open with both hands and held it to his ear.

What could one say to a sister who had recently fired you and replaced you with your nemesis? _Hello_?

There was silence at the other end of the line, too, and then:

"Daniel?"

He swallowed. "Alexis."

Daniel wondered what his sister could possibly have called about. To apologise, possibly? No, Alexis wouldn't do that.

After a longer pause, Daniel decided to begin his speech about finding Betty a job.

"I want-"

"You have-"

They both stopped, silent, each waiting for the other to continue.

"Yes?" Daniel said, unnaturally, to break the awkwardness.

It was on the tip of her tongue to apologise, but something stubborn in Alexis refused to do it. It was for the good of the company and Daniel ought to understand.

So she said, "You have a letter."

"Oh," Daniel said. "Right. Okay."

"It's the paternity test results."

"Oh, right." Daniel had forgotten about it. What did it matter, anyway? He had that letter from Daniel Jr.'s mother. "Let's have it, then."

"What do you mean?" Alexis said, reaching out and fingering the plain white envelope.

"Let's see what it says."

He sat down on the couch in front of the hotel's tv and flicked the remote. A news channel. He heard paper rustling at the other end of the phone.

* * *

Alexis unfolded the letter, read it, put it on the desk again and pushed it away from her, as far away as she could make it go.

God_damn_it.

* * *

"Alexis?"

"Oh, you know," his sister's voice came easily. "Nothing unexpected."

"Ah." Another silence. "...Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Okay, great - now I wanted to talk about Betty's job."

"Okay."

"You definitely have to give her a job. Just because I'm fired doesn't mean she's not good. Because she is good. She definitely benefits the comp-"

"Of course Betty will have a job here," Alexis said, and she felt a little pinprick of warmth at her brother's voice. It was in that tone again, the tone he used subconsciously when he spoke about that assistant of his. "And Daniel -" she hesitated "-you could come back and work somewhere else in Meade. If - if you want."

"Thank you," Daniel said. He smiled. Betty was safe.

Oh, and he could have a job if he wanted.

* * *

Alexis hung up and turned to stare at the envelope on the far corner of the desk.

It was true, then.

She'd have to face it.

She _couldn't_ tell him over the phone. How could she? When they were on holiday together. If she'd told Daniel the truth then...it would majorly suck.

She groaned. Why was life so hard?

* * *

_A/N: will have Betty next ish. o.o_


	4. Kid Knows Best

**Meeting Betty**

**A/N: **Thanks for the encouragement babs08! And thanks for understanding about that bug. I think it's gone now hehe

Also, my gratitude to all reviewers. Much love. And for this chapter, my advanced apologies for the horrible french. I take spanish, sooo...

* * *

Apart from the distressing news from Daniel, Betty was having quite a nice time in Rome.

Oh, who was she kidding? How could she help but be worried about Daniel all the time now? Seriously. He was never far from his thoughts and it was _really_ disturbing her holiday.

Obviously, because when she and Gio went to the coliseum and stood looking at the awe-inspiring sight, Gio asked her, smiling softly, "What are you thinking right now?"

And she replied, absently, "Daniel." Because she was. She was thinking how all these great sights here were utterly wasted for her poor best friend because of his sister. She couldn't believe Alexis could be like that. She couldn't imagine Hilda doing something like that to her, much less herself doing something like that to Hilda.

Then, feeling Gio's bewildered stare, she realised her mistake.

_Oh, crap_.

"Sorry," she said, turning to face him guiltily. "Oh, God, Gio, I'm so sorry. I know I should just let go."

* * *

**Gio**

If you take your girlfriend - (I think Betty is my girlfriend, anyway. Man, that makes me sound like a complete loser.) - to one of the most romantic places in the world and see one of the most brilliant constructions in history, and you asked her what she was thinking, you wouldn't expect her to say "Daniel," would you?

Well, obviously not _Daniel_. You wouldn't expect her to say the name of her _boss_.

Though I guess I couldn't honestly just say Daniel is Betty's boss. They're best friends, and I have to admit, as much as I try to put it out of my mind, I can't - that tinny creeping jealousy.

Get away from me, jealousy! I don't want you! It makes me paranoid!

"...I know I should just let go."

Betty should just let go. Yep, totally agreeing here. It's _our_ time together and Daniel shouldn't be occupying her entire mind...she should be mine, as I am hers. How unfair...

Well, our holiday is hardly over yet. I guess.

* * *

**Betty**

I can't believe I just did that to Gio!

Betty, what are you turning into?!

Some part of me wants to blame this all on Daniel, for pushing his problems onto me, but then I remember it was me who made him tell all in the first place. And I _know_ that he can't hide things from me when I really want to know...

But oh _God_. What was it he said to me when I suspected Wilhelmina might fire me for apparently leaking things to the other magazine a long time ago? _You don't have to tell me everything, Betty, especially if it means I might lose you_. Well the same goes for him.

Though I guess it's different, because...well, he's lost his job already.

Okay stop obsessing Betty Suarez. You started off fine thinking about Gio but now it's all Daniel. _Stop it already_.

* * *

Betty exhaled a long breath, and turned to Gio with a bright smile. "It's really spectacular."

He smiled back at her, and they turned back to look at the view, hands entwined.

* * *

**The Daniels**

"_Très_ pretty," Daniel Jr said, smiling at the view of the coliseum.

"Yeah," Daniel said. "It's really pretty."

To be honest, Daniel didn't _really_ get buildings. He appreciated the grandeur and all but then after that...it had been Alexis - well Alex, back then - out of the two boys (back then) who appreciated the deeper beauty.

Daniel Jr went on a mini rant, describing the view in Franglish, and Daniel smiled at his son, eyes crinkling in slight perplexity. Well in this aspect his son was...quite unlike him.

"You not listening," Daniel Jr said, with that smile-and-eye-roll.

"Hey," Daniel said. "I was, too." He stared at the boy and suddenly the gesture connected in his brain. It was like the building appreciation. He grinned at Daniel Jr.

"Que?"

"You are so like your uncle," he said, ruffling his hair. Oh dammit, he'd been thinking of young Alex. "I mean your aunt. Your _tante_." He remembered odd little words from his French class.

Daniel Jr. smiled at him. After a pause, he asked, "What you think?"

"I think Betty would really love this view," Daniel said. "You know, Betty. She -"

"_Oui, je sais_ Betty." Daniel Jr. smiled. "You like her."

Daniel raised his eyebrows and stared at his son, in his stricken _what?_ expression. "_What?_"

Daniel Jr. smirked smugly and turned to look at the coliseum.

* * *

**Daniel**

My own son is gloating over my discomfort. What kind of Dad am I, anyway? Well.

What did he mean, I _like_ Betty. Well of course I like her...she's a brilliant assistant and best friend.

Strange though that when I looked at the coliseum it was Betty I thought of and how she'd like the view. She _would_, though. She probably did, probably been here with Gio already. And I only thought of her because she's here in Rome and because...you know...

Betty is here with Gio though. I keep forgetting that little nagging detail. It's annoying. She's so close yet so...far.

Man, that was such a cliché.

* * *

**Daniel Jr. **_translated from original French_

Wow - speak of the devil. Well not the devil, because she's very nice. But how strange. We talk about her and there she is...

Dad hasn't seen her yet.

That's good. His expression was so adult-y when I told him the obvious...that he liked Betty. Like, in the _like _like way. The crushing way. Hehe.

Maybe I can help Dad.

But annoying adult things are all messy because Betty is with that guy, who is probably her boyfriend.

Well I don't care.

* * *

"Dad, we join tour," Daniel Jr. said, tugging at his father's arm, pointing over at one of those free tour guides.

"Oh, I don't even know if that guy's licensed," Daniel said, looking over.

Daniel Jr. gave his best pout, although he was very out of practice.

"But okay," Daniel said.

Daniel Jr. grinned to himself, following his dad over to the group.

* * *

"...and _ripped_ his arm off!" the guide said, in a dramatic Italian-accented stage whisper.

"Wow," Betty said. Gio and she were standing right at the front of the group. "That's...amazing."

She ignored Gio laughing at her comment.

"Many brave souls have perished within these walls." The guide stared around with wide eyes. "It's said their blood-covered ghosts still roam the walks of Roma."

Gio snorted. Betty elbowed him. There was the audible _woah_ of a young boy from the somewhere at the back of the group.

* * *

"Woah," Daniel Jr. said.

"Hey, your English is really good," Daniel said, impressed. "You -"

He turned, distracted, at the approach of a heavy-browed police man approaching them. The policeman went up to the front of the group, approaching the guide.

The guide protested something in rapid Italian, to which the policeman scowled and motioned for him to come away. Daniel stepped forward, not knowing exactly why he felt the need to defend the tour guide. He _was_ unlicensed.

"You can't just do that," he said, and at the same time a light blue coated woman stepped out beside him, saying "That's so unfair!"

He turned and stared at her. "_Betty?_"

* * *

_A/N: I have little knowledge of Rome and the coliseum, never having been there. We'll see more of the defense next ish. Let me know what you thought please, good or bad :)  
_


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